賢

It is a compound character, consisting of:

臤 (hyeon, “virtuous, wise”) carrying the meaning “virtuous, worthy”;

貝 (pae, “shell, money”) added to reflect the sense of value, worth, merit.

Originally, 臤 itself conveyed the meaning “virtuous, wise.” Later, 貝 was appended to emphasize the idea of a person whose virtue and kindness are of value, giving the character its present form.

Common compounds:

현명 (賢明) – wisdom, intelligence

현자 (賢者) – sage, virtuous person

성현 (聖賢) – sages and wise men

어진 현 (賢) – used in given names, denoting virtue/wisdom

䝨 (U+4768): an abbreviated form;

贤 (U+8D24): the simplified Chinese form;

贒 (U+8D12): an ancient variant.